JohnH

No. Both are VGA. But thanks for the additional input.

That's interesting. Overnight I was thinking about changing settings to a single monitor, just to see if that made any difference. That would seemingly narrow the problem down to the video card, wouldn't it?

Today my computer suddenly started complaining that "Display Driver stopped responding and has recovered". It happened about 5 or 6 times within a couple of hours. One time the computer rebooted. I'm running Windows 7, dual monitors. Any suggestions? How about having the video card replaced? I'm probably going to replace the computer by year end, but just wondering if I can come up with a short-term solution for the next 5-6 weeks.

Ditto on the macros. They are a game changer if you want to step up your efficiency (and therefore increase your profitability).

Thanks Eric. Very convenient, easy to use, and one less thing to think about. But if a situation ever occurs that more is needed, I'm willing to supplement the regular donation.

Somebody pm'd me that Jack from Ohio had joined this conversation. If he did, please give him my regards.

If I knew someone had you blocked, I'd enter a new post quoting you word-for-word and then add at the end "(at least that's what Judy said on this subject)". Just for fun...

Hey, I see what you did there, Judy.

Maybe we need a "Bless his/her heart" emoji for those times when [just doesn't cut it.

And if Judy or Catherine end up not having, it, I also have an ATX CD which says "Archive Edition - Tax Year 2006".

That is a handy feature. I don't use it with anyone on this forum since I'm fairly thick-skinned anyhow. But several years ago I found myself in constant conflict with someone on another forum. Not sure what it was, but something about our personalities just clashed - they didn't care for me and I didn't care for them. It happens. So I blocked them and that was the end of it. I think it was good for both of us, since neither of us needed to waste our time tossing insults at one another. I decided it's better to save that stuff for Facebook, where you can really be confident that you'll change some minds.

Eric: Along with Catherine, I'll add my name to the list of those asking you to set up the option of a recurring donation to the forum.

I'm the culprit who committed the derailing offense on the original thread. I apologize for having started down that rabbit trail since the question remained unanswered at the time. I'll plead "off-season antics" in my defense.

What frequently drives me nuts about the pubs is their choice of examples to illustrate a point. It's as though a group sits around and tries to think up the most exotic or unusual set of circumstances to explain how the law applies in a given situation. Meanwhile, an example intended to clarify a high-probability set of circumstances is nowhere to be found.

WOW! Close call there, Jack. Glad you're safe.

These days you need to win the lottery to afford a family trip to Disneyland...

I do have to say the renewal process is very easy. I liked the ability to exclude myself from the public list, although I question how comprehensive the exclusion may be.

Here is where it all began. https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-news/ir-99-72.pdf Wikipedia says IRS issued 1 million PTIN's in the first year. I assume the numbers were issued on a first come/first served basis.

Yes, I think Joel just nailed the title.

My original CAF# (1982) was that same nine-digit format, followed by an R. Due to a mix-up on an address change, I was assigned a different on in 1989, also followed by an R. Then in 1991 I was issued a third one (for unexplained reasons), also followed by an R. So I've always assumed all CAF numbers had R at the end. After a few more mix ups, I was eventually told to use the 1991 number from that point forward. In the process of looking through all that paperwork, I also found a couple of sets of clear plastic overlay sheets I used for many years to drop this information onto a photocopy of Form 8821 after I'd type the client info onto the form with a typewriter. Talk about a walk down memory lane...

Couldn't leave this alone, so it occurred to me to look at an old file I keep for a family member. Turns out that until 1998, the only number the preparer could enter on the 1040 was the SSAN. The first year the 1040 made a provision for "SSAN or PIN" in the jurat was 1999, and I began using my PTIN in that initial year. So I suppose the earliest any of us could have obtained a PTIN was late 1998 or early 1999. This also means that for any of us who prepared a tax return in 1998 or before, every time someone threw out old tax records without shredding them, there's been a potential identity theft issue for them and for us lurking in their garbage dump.

This thread got me wondering if I kept my original PTIN application. Haven't located it yet, but I did find a folder with my original CAF number assignment. It was dated Dec 6, 1982. I still have the 2-part form printed on continuous-form paper (holes & perforation on both sides), unburst, with the carbon paper intact. Talk about a pack rat....

Mine is 8 digits, beginning with 3 zeros. The first non-zero digit is a 4. I thought I applied for mine as soon as they were introduced, but it appears I wasn't as quick on the trigger as I've been thinking all these years.

I've always followed the theory that my odds of wining the lottery are roughly the same whether I buy a ticket or not.

True. Or they're thinking "Once I give you my shoebox, all you need to do is make a few entries and press a button to send it. Right?" Or maybe they're not thinking at all...